During the normal use of a hand-held camera, the hand of the user which supports the camera is generally fully occupied in maintaining the camera in the desired position; therefore the fingers of that hand are not freely available for manipulating the lens of the camera. Thus, the other hand is the only one which can be used to adjust the camera lens. Except in the case of the most elementary type of camera, the inability to support the camera and manipulate the lens with the same hand is a serious drawback, especially when the camera is equipped with a special lens, such as a telephoto or a "zoom" lens, which needs to be manipulated simultaneously with the other camera operations. Furthermore, the added weight of a special lens presents a serious impediment to holding the camera steady during the manipulation of such a lens, and during the picture taking action.
The most common apparatus for holding a normally hand-held camera steady, and freeing the hands of the photographer, is a tripod extending from the camera to the ground. However, it is often not convenient, and is indeed a serious burden to use a tripod, since tripods are often heavy and unweildey, and in any event are inconvenient to carry. Furthermore, a proper ground support surface for the tripod may not be available at the locale at which it is desired to use the camera. Realizing these problems, prior art workers have devised and proposed various types of non-tripod camera supports and holders to steady the camera. However, these devices do not allow the simultaneous manipulation of the camera lens, and are often extremely cumbersome.
A typical prior art camera support of the non-tripod type is described in Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,101, which discloses a device to which the camera can be secured, and which is intended to be strapped to the forearm of the user.
While previously-proposed devices are effective for their intended purposes, they tend to be complicated in structure, bulky, and generally inconvenient for the photographer, who is in need of an aid of this type to allow the use of both hands to steady the camera while still being able to operate and manipulate the lens.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention, to provide a means of support for a camera of the hand-held type, which avoids the drawbacks and disadvantages of prior constructions.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a camera support or holder of the character indicated, which is easy to use, is non-complicated in construction, and is readily transportable.
It is a still further object of the present invention, to provide a camera support or holder of the aforementioned character, which enables the user of same to readily and comfortably support a 35mm camera or the like which is equipped with a telephoto or similar zoom lens, while at the same time facilitating the user's simultaneous manipulation of the lens focusing/zoom rings, to thereby serve the dual function of support of camera and assistance in the manipulation of the camera lens.
A further object of the invention is to provide a camera reference point for the hand which is used to manipulate the lens, such that the fingers of the hand can readily locate the zoom and focus rings of the lens without the camera user having to physically look at the lens.
A still further object of the invention, is to provide a camera support of the aforementioned character which is of light weight and sturdy construction, and which does not substantially add to the size of the camera, so as to facilitate and promote its use by the camera operator.
Yet a still further object of the invention is to provide a camera support or holder of the aforementioned character, which in addition to serving the support and lens maniputation functions aforementioned, serves to provide an additional grasping means enabling safe handling and manipulation of the camera when same is removed from the camera case in its most commonly used configuration.